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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · craft · wave · key · perch · swing · season · kick

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — the most important part
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — for a lock
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. perch — the fish
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — in music
  17. kick — in football
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com